1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 15, 2024 19:07:36 GMT
I’m going to see the aforementioned Tom Hanks show (The Moonwalkers) at the weekend: I’m just praying there won’t be loads of dickheads taking selfies and filming it while it happens 🫤
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 15, 2024 19:03:27 GMT
The Steve Carell version is yet to come: myself, I’m Vanya’d out after the Andrew Scott version last year and the diabolical version that was on at The Other Palace about ten years ago (which was so crap it inspired me to post my first review on the old forum)
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 15, 2024 18:09:06 GMT
Just finished seeing it and really enjoyed it: didn’t think the editing was particularly ‘kinetic’’ although there are a couple of bits when moments get shared on social media where the images are piled up rapidly . I wouldn’t say the soundtrack featured anything amazing but then I’m not really a musicals kind of guy but the whole thing just seemed nice and good natured (although if you’re seeing it because of Jon Hamm in the trailers, I’d hold off booking as he is in it maybe 2 or 3 minutes at most, and don’t get your hopes up of Tina Fey singing any big numbers), the perfect way to spend a couple of hours: I’m tempted to go and see the stage version when it opens in London so I can compare the two.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 14, 2024 21:50:03 GMT
I’m going to try to see it tomorrow in France: wish me luck 😝
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 12, 2024 21:41:19 GMT
Soulwax at L’Aeronef in Lille on Tuesday: the forecast is -3 and I don’t think it’s going to finish much before midnight so I’m going to ensure I have at least three layers of warm clothing with me 🫤 Weather is nearly as crap here but I’m still seeing halfwits wearing shorts on the streets at night each night this week🤨
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 12, 2024 21:38:00 GMT
I saw adverts for this all over buses and bus stops in Bromley when I went there last weekend but not a thing about it outside the Churchill, I can’t think it’s selling that well without anyone knowing who is going to be in it?
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 12, 2024 20:34:06 GMT
Saw Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure tonight at the BFI : another one in their Scala season. I can understand Pee-Wee not being everyone’s cup of tea (if you read up on his later life without seeing anything he was in then you might not be looking forward to seeing him if it’s recommended to you)but it’s just 90 minutes of silly, good natured fun that the whole cinema seemed to enjoy with loads of classic moments (Large Marge, the Alamo and Tequila for starters 🤣)
I hadn’t seen it in about 30 years or so : my only disappointment was going on the Hollywood Warner Brothers tour in 2028 and the guide made no mention of the numerous locations on the lot that are used in this…
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 7, 2024 19:03:06 GMT
Next Goal Wins: way better than I expected; really funny and feelgood and definitely one of my favourite "Sports underdogs win" films. Saw this today (had a real struggle to find anywhere in London showing it at a reasonable hour) and thought it was very poor, nothing to dislike about it but I got the impression it only got greenlit because it was from the director of Jojo Rabbit and the last two Thor films and when it was delivered, the studio didn’t have a clue what to do with it so just bunged it in a cupboard.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 6, 2024 22:30:13 GMT
Was there tonight in the Grand Circle slips (the view was pretty atrocious and my legs were complaining after about fifteen minutes or so) but I thoroughly enjoyed it: my knowledge of Sondheim is extremely limited (West Side Story, Into The Woods and Sweeney Todd was about it) but after seeing Here We Are just before Christmas I thought it would be rude not to try to see it before it’s gone.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 6, 2024 15:34:04 GMT
Saw the original version of The Evil Dead last night at BFI Southbank, part of their Scala season. First time I’d seen it in decades and I didn’t realise that the acting was the most diabolical thing on show, it’s no shocker that Bruce Campbell was the only person on screen who made a career out of acting. Hard to see how it got labelled as a video nasty, it seems like silly fun for rather than anything scary (the cackling laughter and shouts of ‘join us!’ 🤣) it’s better than the remake from ten years ago but not a patch on Evil Dead 2 that takes the silliness to a whole new level.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 5, 2024 20:18:55 GMT
Received an email saying it will be back at the Coach & Horses next month if you too want to experience this : I have no interest iim seeing it again or in seeing any more shows put on like this in pubs, I couldn’t see half of what was going on but I’ve been able to sleep at night since without pondering what I missed.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 5, 2024 15:32:22 GMT
I saw this on Wednesday and really enjoyed it: it could have done with fifteen minutes or so being removed and I thought proceedings sagged in the middle but all three actors seemed to be at the top of their game and having a ball.
Having seen Cyprus Avenue previously, I had an inkling how things might turn out and while it doesn’t have any bin bag moments like that did, it still cranked up the ultraviolence (I was perturbed by the idiot sitting behind me chuckling like he was watching Tom & Jerry when it began, as if a blood covered woman was some kind of punchline in itself ) but whatever David Ireland does next, I think maybe any such violence should be given a rest (the mention of Tarantino in the play, and of Martin McDonagh in the interview with Harrelson in the programme gave a hint as to the inspiration for this, but together with comments about Diana and Thatcher in the play, bits of it seem a bit dated to be honest)
The actual space the play was in seemed a bit daunting when I saw how many people were in the room, but the view I had from the centre of the second row was faultless: no craning my neck to see what was happening at any moment and I was close enough to be able to read everyone’s expressions perfectly. Yes it was expensive but still cheaper than most of the theatres in the West End, I’m glad I got to see it.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Jan 1, 2024 23:43:54 GMT
Its transferring to The Shed in New York in ‘Fall 2024’ if anyone is interested (I saw it advertised while seeing Here We Are there last week)
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 31, 2023 22:13:03 GMT
Saw this on the last night of my week long stay in New York over Christmas: worth seeing but I just thought it was far too dark : great performances from Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbot (who did the whole show with crutches, don’t know what happened there) I’m glad I saw it but I’m thinking seeing Appropriate a few days previously raised the bar awfully high.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 30, 2023 20:21:59 GMT
Ulster American on Wednesday and Old Friends on Saturday
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 30, 2023 13:09:19 GMT
The top two of my top five were in New York so I don’t know if anyone will argue their merits but my top five for this year are:
1.Appropriate at the Hayes Theatre, NYC 2. A Dolls House at the Hudson Theatre, NYC 3. A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic 4. Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre 5. The Motive and the Cue at the National
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 27, 2023 15:51:57 GMT
Danny and the Deep Blue Sea at the Lucille Lortel Theatre tomorrow.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 27, 2023 15:50:49 GMT
I saw this last night and to be honest, I really thought the first act wasn’t my kind of thing, a Southern family thing that didn’t really catch my interest but the second act was so, so, good: it just built and built before exploding both verbally and physically (Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll were both excellent, I didn’t think there was a weak link in the cast) and the ending is certainly a WTF moment (in a good way though)
One of the productions of the year for me: I don’t know if it will ever transfer out of the US but highly recommended if you get a chance to see it.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 24, 2023 23:24:25 GMT
If you’re coming to the states and are looking for Criterion BluRay’s, your best bet is to try a Barnes & Noble bookstore. They all have Criterion sections in their (dwindling) movie departments. I’m going to Vegas, staying at the Mirage and from what I can see, there aren’t any Barnes & Nobles anywhere near the strip and I’m in a mixed mood about getting an Uber to one only to find out they either don’t do Blu-rays, or if they do it’s only a few best sellers : not sure if there will be much demand for Luis Bunuel films in Nevada 🤣 Looking in the Barnes & Noble in Union Square earlier today, the only Bunuel films they had was a boxset at $100 and I don’t think you would miss out not having seen them: if you’ve seen a production of Huis Clos you might a general idea of what (might) be going on
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 23, 2023 22:12:14 GMT
Appropriate at the Hayes Theater on Boxing Day
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 23, 2023 21:14:01 GMT
Saw the matinee performance of this today and thought it was ok rather than anything if rush to see again but it wasn’t helped by a 🍆head sitting down 5 minutes before it started and then telling his theatre companion about all the dreadful roles he had been auditioning for really, REALLY loudly then laughing at every f’in line in an aggravating high pitch laugh fit the duration. Overall, I thought it was too long and could have done with some editing in the second act, the theme does go a lot darker in the second act which is maybe why there wasn’t a surfeit of songs but there were a couple of nice nods to The Ruling Class and Young Frankenstein (among others) which I thought was a nice touch.
I dont know if this will go to the UK (but I bet it does) but I’m glad I can say I saw it with the original cast, and I was impressed it was a full turnout from the cast on a matinee 2 days before Christmas.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 17, 2023 21:58:25 GMT
Well I had a ticket for a Lord Of The Rings all dayer at BFI IMAX today but after having my works Christmas party on Friday then seeing Leftfield last night I wasn’t in the mood to be sat in a cinema all day, so I gave up on that and went to the singalong screening of The Muppet Christmas Carol at the Prince Charles Cinema instead this afternoon: I haven’t seen it in 30 years or so but I thoroughly enjoyed it (I didn’t remember Michael Caine doing so much singing, the audience singing was a bit subdued by the time he burst into song but I think I did just as good a job as he did vocals wise) but it was a nice thing to see so close to Christmas
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 17, 2023 17:50:19 GMT
I won’t be seeing any more shows in the UK before the end of the year but I have three lined up when I go to NYC next week (and they’re theatrical shows, I know I include a lot of gigs in this thread), I shall endeavour to come up with my list before the end of the month/year
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 17, 2023 13:34:30 GMT
Here We Are at The Shed on Saturday.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 10, 2023 16:52:05 GMT
Panda Bear and Sonic Boom at Heaven on Thursday, Leftfield at the Kentish Town Forum on Saturday and that’s it for 2023 for me (in this country anyway)
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Wonka
Dec 10, 2023 16:49:03 GMT
via mobile
Post by Marwood on Dec 10, 2023 16:49:03 GMT
Slightly off topic sorry, but as someone who very rarely goes to the cinema I was wondering which is the ‘better’ option to watch this in? Dolby in Leicester Square or IMAX at the BFI? Have no idea what the difference is. Whereabouts in Leicester Square are you thinking of seeing it? Dolby just means the sound is in stereo, the IMAX is a super sized screen but I wouldn’t bother going there if all that is available are seats towards the front.
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 7, 2023 21:32:51 GMT
Saw this last night and really enjoyed it (with a couple of exceptions): my knowledge of this was limited to seeing filmed versions so not knocking him, but I thought Christopher Eccleston didn’t seem grouchy enough before he is visited by the ghosts compared to Michael Caine or Alistair Sim (I wasn’t that keen on the Albert Finney version) but I was impressed he toned his accent to fit the location of the production: it’s quite something when areas like Blackfriars are mentioned that are within walking distance of the theatre.
I had a good view of proceedings from the stalls (don’t know if I would have been as impressed in the upper levels) but I just enjoyed the atmosphere of what happens: the music, singing, bell ringing (and yes, mince pies) and it made me think of just what has happened to the significance of Christmas in the years since this was written (I think I might have got a bit of grit in my eye by the time Silent Night was played but thankfully Christopher Eccleston didn’t do any singing)
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 7, 2023 19:24:35 GMT
Suede at the Winter Gardens in Eastbourne on Saturday
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 3, 2023 21:39:10 GMT
She hosted the q&a with Tom Hanks to launch his new book at the Prince Edward tonight: it was a fun night (although I’m not sure if the FAO Schwartz piano from Big still exists in Manhattan? she said she is planning on visiting with her daughter) but oy vey, the amount of people waiting by the stage door upon my exit 😝
|
|
1,878 posts
|
Post by Marwood on Dec 2, 2023 19:15:37 GMT
Eileen: I missed out on tickets for this when it was on at the London Film Festival and Edgar Wright has given it a glowing recommendation on his Instagram, telling people to know as little about his as possible before seeing it: it’s had next to no promotion that I’ve seen so apart from a couple of photos when it was screened at the LFF I knew next nothing about it.
It features another tour de force performance from Thomasin McKenzie in the title role (with this, Jojo Rabbit and Last Night In Soho she is really making a name for herself), strong support from Anne Bancroft and Shea Whigham (Bancroft plays more of a supporting role than you would expect from looking at her billing on posters): I don’t want to give anything away apart from it’s a period noir (set at Christmas but it’s one of the least festive films I’ve seen) and it kind of trundles along nicely with a few bumps and surprises but there was one revelation in the closing stretch that I thought was a bit too much and the ending just kind of happens, leaving the viewer to put together the pieces in their head.
Glad I saw it but disappointed by that ending: 6.5 out of 10
|
|